The Seventh
by WhiteGloves
Summary: He will never change. In his darkness and so in his love. All lies. All deception. And Belle woke up one day with him gone and his darkness with him he can't part with. (Aftermath of the Underworld arc!) Rumplestiltskin and Belle- one shot-


***The Seventh***

 ** _by: WhiteGloves_**

 _'Season 5B ideas for Belle and his Beast'_

 _with Episode 12 scheduled on March._

 _How my heart aches in wait._

* * *

He didn't return.

Once Belle had woken up that fateful day and found the town empty of her friends and her loved one, she did all she could to find out what happened the night before. It was one of Storybrooke's darkest moment with all the Dark Ones scattered and walking the surface of the earth for the name of evil. An event so dangerous and unthinkable of any escape but one she was not allowed any participation in.

Rumple saw to that. He knew it was dangerous. Knew it and had convinced her to go. _Letting her go._

And she thought it was over for them as she, with a newly found resolve to be happy in the real world, decided to _let him go._ It was the only path and the only way to salvage her heart. She believed Rumple would never change.

Until that phone call.

Henry told her everything that had transpired in Storybrooke while she was driving towards a new world. She remembered pulling the breaks with her thoughts filling with his memories. He lied to her again—lied to her and made her leave with his lie he meant to take to the grave. Setting aside his own selfishness for once he understood—power and love—he could not have both so with consent or not—he made the best choice for her.

And so did she as she turned the wheels of the car and drove back to his arms.

And once again she realized, there no was better man. Rumplestiltskin might have done the cruellest things in the world but he was the only one to make her heart beat the way it did. Like how it did when she first fell in love with him amidst his nastiness and cruelty. She loved him then. She loved all side of him. She loved him even more now.

And so they were reunited.

She remembered falling asleep on his arms and how happy she was that somehow she felt him change. He cared for her enough to let her go... a silver lining to their declining relationship. One she had hoped with all her heart to appear. A sign she had asked the stars to appear and it did. And after that night, she swore to make the best of their _nth_ chance.

Only to find him gone.

She remembered scrambling out of bed to call for him. He was usually there tinkering on his magical objects. This time he wasn't and she, Belle, went out walking around town in search and haste. Rumplestiltskin did not say anything—let alone say goodbye; he was not one to convey his plans to anyone, not even to her. As much as Belle wanted to believe that he does not mean to lie, she also knew that it was his choice, and that it was already part of him. Lying. Liar. Rumplestiltskin.

But it matters not—she could not find him. Nor the others. Her family. No one was able to point out what had happened to those seven missing souls. Eight if she added Killian Jones but then again it was all blank to Belle's mind about what had become after they defeated him.

A growing fear enveloped her. Rumplestiltskin was gone with them. Something must've happened. Something _always_ happen if Rumple was concerned. It was him. It had always been him. And even if he wasn't the one who initiated it, anything associated with dark magic will always come running to him. He was Rumplestiltskin. But he wasn't the Dark One. Or was he?

And Belle did the only thing she could amidst her heart's confusion. _Turn to a book._

But it wasn't just about a single _book._ Volumes of books of the Dark One were there. Rumplestiltskin was the best author.

But she never did find the answer. Even after defeating all the Dark Ones for good, the next step was supposedly... _peace_. So how come they've disappeared? But then Belle saw that description... that in order to defeat evil one must do the ultimate sacrifice.

Life.

Putting it all together, Belle was stunned to even come and think that Rumple sacrificed himself. No. No. How she shook her head and made her heart believed it wasn't true. Then again Rumple was turned into a hero... there was all the probability that he—among all of them—was part of something that sacrificed.

For the briefest moment, Belle wished the Rumplestiltskin had remained a coward. That he had thought of protecting himself in order to protect her for she couldn't live without him—not anymore.

And then they returned. All _seven_ of them. They said they ventured to the Underworld to save _him—_ Killian Jones who had died as the Dark One. A quest to save him. All seven living souls went there and only seven living souls can come out. All seven of them returned—but none of them _Rumplestiltskin_.

Killian was saved. Rumplestiltskin was left behind.

How Belle cried that night.

To console her, Mary Margaret had tried to talk to her, even Emma was there beside her but it was only Henry who was able to come across. He said his grandfather had made a choice back then. That he wasn't going to come back to her side if not a hero. Because he became dark again— _he was the Dark One once more._

With trembling lips she listened to their tale, how with the Underworld at their feet, it was only Rumplestiltskin who was able to save them all against their immortal enemies. He was with the Darkest power—what with all the Dark Ones combined in him—he was the only one to come in par with the actual Emperor of evil—

Hades.

Rumplestiltskin _is Hades._

Belle listened as to how the Dark One's power was owned by Hades—and that he himself was the lone owner of all the mighty power of the Dark Ones, that it was part of him he let out to the world. Rumplestiltskin since then was his possession. How Hades lured Rumplestiltskin with his magic and if Rumple has any weakness—it was this.

And there, thru Henry's tale, his grandfather confessed: _He could not live without his magic. That he was never only a Rumplestiltskin, but the Dark One combined. He was as a whole and could never be another. So with his magic, he lives and dies._

 _"Tell Belle... I am unworthy. And I am setting her free... from me."_

And Belle understood— _she was never chosen again._ Between her and his power, Rumple, like how he is—would and will always choose his magic. Belle was only...

Tears weren't enough anymore. She wished her heart wasn't there.

She was betrayed. And she was alone. And she was angry.

He did not return.

Maybe it was for the better.

She was free. She _is free._

There was Dark One no more.

* * *

Weeks, moths passed... years... and Belle found herself residing in New York. It was the best place to be. She studied there with her father's money. She never went back to Storybrooke and let the mayor handle the Gold's pawnshop. She forgot about him. She wished she can do it all through her life. But she was happy.

Then Henry's letter came.

Belle had just come back from her lesson when she saw a brown envelope with Regina's seal on it. Briskly opening it, she sat on her comfy couch and read the introduction. Henry by then was already in college and his family all living well and peaceful in Storybrooke. Other than the daily catch ups, Henry had a confession.

And it went on like this:

 _'I'm sorry I did not tell you. This was grandfather's last request.'_ It said.

 _'Before taking over the darkness and becoming the emperor of evil himself, grandfather was with me. He knew he was called by Hades, he knew he had no way of escape. We were in the underworld and the pull of Darkness was heavy to my mom, to Killian... but even more to the real Dark One. His only salvation was the thought of you, Belle. But he said eventually he will be consumed and there was no other way. Our escape route after taking Killian back was small so in order for all of us to be free from the grip of the dead, he has to make away to deal with Hades._

 _'So my grandfather did the sacrifice. He became Hades. But Hades did not control him. He controlled Hades._

 _'In order to save us he decided to take over the power. And since there was no turning back, he decided to stay. He had to stay or all of the dead will walk the earth. It was the truth of that power. To control even the dead, even my grandfather was afraid but not for himself, but for us—for you. He didn't want you to be consumed. He didn't want you to be touched by anymore darkness that he is._

 _'He didn't want you to be burdened by thegreater darkness he shouldered. It was part of him. It will ever be part of him. And he was afraid of the worst possible things he could do with that power lying inside him. But he was most concerned of you, my grandfather says you won't forgive him, but he hoped that someday you will. You will not forgive him for choosing magic over you but that is not true. To best of my knowledge that's what I want to believe._

 _'Grandfather sacrificed himself for his family. But he has not forgotten who he was because of you. Darkness did not consume him—he consumed Darkness for us. For you, Belle. He said he could never make you happy. He will always be the Rumplestiltskin that you first met—dark, cruel, manipulative and selfish. There was no way for him to change that, and there's no way he could ever make it up to you than save all your love ones. You are important to him. He didn't want to hurt you anymore. And that you are the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to him. You may never see each other again, so he says. He says that while he was Dark, you were the Light. And they never meet each other in the afterlife._

 _'So with all his heart, he wants you to be happy._

 _'I hope you forgive him, Belle. Grandfather maybe as bad as he thinks he is—frankly he is—but after everything even I realized that there's part of him wanting to be with you and he regret that he couldn't ever. Even after he became Hades. Because deep inside him he knew he will never be deserving of your love. He regrets that. Please forgive him._

 _'I told you this not to make you guilty, Belle. I just want you to remember him like I do. A real hero._

 _'Love, Henry.'_

Belle stared at the paper that slowly got crumpled on her hands. She didn't know how it started but the tears won't stop falling. It was worst than when she found out he chose power over her...

Because it wasn't true... it was all untrue.

Rumplestiltskin lied to her again... but despite that how come... how come her tears were of relief?

Is it because he found out that he _chose to protect her_ after all?

That always, and will always be, despite his shortcomings, Rumplestiltskin will always be putting her before him. Her safety not matter who was hurt, her happiness no matter the risks to other people...

That was him. That was Rumple.

And she cried her eyes out thinking of him over there... unable to escape his fate.

And without her.

How her heart ached for him.

She wished she was there with him. Wished with all her heart she was there.

And if wishing was powerful... if true love was powerful... there was always a way. Be it in the land of the living... or the dead.

Belle kept the paper near her heart. She will find him. There will always be a way. Rumple did not believe her love... or so he did but there were traces of his doubt. This time it will be her to prove it is true... that between them, she was not the one who will give up. She will never give up on him for one and only reason:

 _"I was always in love, Rumple. Till the end. I will find you."_

* * *

 **~THE END~**

 **A/N** : He deserves to be thought more.

The greatest story comes from those who has crossed both the Good... and the Bad.

 **And the BADDEST!#Rumplestiltskin**

 ** _Thanks for reading! ;)_**


End file.
